As minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures become increasing sophisticated, new functions will be needed to realize successful surgical outcomes. For example, conventional laparoscopy places a limit on the number of devices that can be inserted in the body. In addition, these devices have limited positioning capabilities and may compete or interfere with the preferred motion or position of another instrument.
Devices and methods for performing in vivo imaging of passages or cavities within a body are known in the art, and there are self-propelled devices known in the art. However, these conventional technologies use a single device (e.g. a camera pill), which are difficult to inject into the body and properly position and navigate due to their size. Having a single device also limits the ability of the surgeon to perform multiple tasks in a single session, or view the progress of the surgical procedure from the most advantageous angle.